Zimbabwe opposition wants votes verified

Angus Shaw, Associated Press

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, May 4, 2008

Photo: TSVANGIRAYI MUKWAZHI

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Emmerson Munangagwa, centre, representing President Robert Mugabe listens to his two assistants after his arrival for the election verification process in Harare, Thursday, May, 1, 2008. The verification process of results of the Presidential polls held on March, 29 began Thursday will lead to an announcement of the results.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) less

Emmerson Munangagwa, centre, representing President Robert Mugabe listens to his two assistants after his arrival for the election verification process in Harare, Thursday, May, 1, 2008. The verification ... more

Photo: TSVANGIRAYI MUKWAZHI

Zimbabwe opposition wants votes verified

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Zimbabwe's opposition held out the possibility Saturday that its leader will face President Robert Mugabe in a presidential runoff, but called on the nation's neighbors to verify the vote count from the first round.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission released results a day earlier giving Tsvangirai the lead, but the margin was not enough for the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff with Mugabe, the second-place finisher. The opposition rejected the commission's results as fraudulent.

At a news conference Saturday, Khupe called on the Southern African Development Community to help verify the results.

"We still need to be convinced before we participate in a runoff," she said.

Top opposition leaders were expected to meet this weekend to consider their next step. Khupe did not comment on the meeting.

No runoff date has been set. Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said the Constitution requires a second round no sooner than 21 days from the announcement of first-round results and no later than a year.

The opposition has consistently rejected a runoff, but its stance has appeared to soften since the official results were released, and Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party said he would take part in a second round.

On Friday, Tsvangirai's deputy in the Movement for Democratic Change, Tendai Biti, acknowledged that skipping a second round could result in another term for Mugabe. Biti told reporters in Johannesburg in neighboring South Africa that the only way out of the impasse was a power-sharing government led by Tsvangirai, but with no role for Mugabe.